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NL Concerns over new Jordanian 'cybercrime' law
Photo: The King of Jordan, Wikimedia Commons On 12 August, Jordan's King Abdullah II approved legislation that puts strong controls on what Jordanians can say and do on the internet. This law, previously passed by the Jordanian parliament and senate, will be officially implemented in a few weeks. [...]
Tunisia continues deadly mass expulsion of Black immigrants as EU deal is implemented
Photo: European Commission On 16 July 2023, the EU signed a migration deal with Tunisia, as announced a month earlier. The deal includes an aid package worth more than €1 billion, designed to support the Tunisian economy and strengthen Tunisian border control, with the aim of reducing the number of refugees entering Europe [...]
Jenin attacks: yet another escalation by a far-right Israeli government
Photo: Twitter/OCHA oPt Large-scale discontent with the Israeli government On 29 December 2022, Israel's 37th government took office, the most right-wing, anti-Palestinian, and religiously conservative cabinet in Israeli history. This cabinet, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu of the Likud party, consists of two ultra-Orthodox and three ultra-nationalist parties. Several ministers from this [...]
How do we do deal with migration?
The shipwreck off the Greek coast that killed hundreds of people last week is the deadliest accident in the Mediterranean in years. This is yet another maritime disaster as a result of European migration policies. For instance, many illegal pushbacks of migrants take place by the European border agency FRONTEX and by southern European countries themselves. [...]
Tunisia receives EU financial support to tackle migration
Source: Martin Schulz The European Union is considering giving Tunisia around €900 million to support its economy in exchange for better border control and measures against human trafficking. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, said €150 million in budget support will be provided immediately once the necessary agreement is reached. Prime Minister [...]
'On the brink of collapse': Israel's battle for the Supreme Court
A planned Supreme Court reform by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and ultra-Orthodox government has been causing unrest in Israel for months. The tension came to a boiling point in late March: following his call to cancel the reform, defence minister Yoav Gallant was temporarily sacked. In response, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest and [...]
Tunisian democracy in grave danger after crackdown on critics
Protests in Tunis, Tunisia 2011: Flickr President Kais Saied's regime in Tunisia has hit a new low with a crackdown on critics. Dozens of public figures, including politicians, protest organisers, lawyers, judges, trade union officials, the head of an independent radio station and business leaders, were arrested in often violent night raids. This led to protests in [...]
Growing drug problem in Jordan and Lebanon
The drug captagon is causing a major problem in the Middle East. The drug emerged in the early 2000s when IS distributed it to its warriors, but soon spread to the rest of the population. It has become the drug of choice for young people in the Middle East and North Africa. The growing demand has led to a booming [...]
FMS Political Café: Passion and unity on 'revolutionary situation' in Iran
People are still taking to the streets en masse in Iran for the biggest Iranian protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The FMS organised a political café about this on 2 February. With a passionate and engaged audience, experts, politicians and representatives of the Iranian diaspora stressed the importance of continued support for the [...]
Interview: Colleague Meriem on her experiences in the Palestinian territories
Colleague Meriem Hammami visited the Palestinian territories in November during a three-day fieldtrip organised by the Palestinian-European Civil Society Forum and the Jerusalem Human Rights Consortium. During the fieldtrip, she experienced poignant moments. FMS interviewed her about the experiences that stuck with her most. What was the background to your trip to [...]
